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 C.S. Lewis Aug 11, 2009
Those are the first books written by C.S. Lewis. The Great Divorce is easy to read and is my favourite.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 low quality publication - Harper One Aug 06, 2009
I just received the set. I pulled out one book out of the box. It was a piece of junk.
Harper One should buy a nice paper cutter. The edge of the books are not cut properly.
I'm returning it and never buy Harper One publication.
Essential Works of C.S. Lewis Jun 26, 2009
C.S. Lewis, intellectual giant of the 20th Century and author of The Chronicles of Narnia, is widely considered to be one of the world's foremost influences on religious thought in the past 100 years.
These six books leave little doubt as to why.
Lewis wrote many books on religion, fiction and nonfiction alike, but it is in these six works that his entire belief system is neatly laid out. Lewis was a master at detailing his complicated philosophies with simple language and the usage of metaphor to clarify any points of difficulty even for the most confused layman. In this review I will briefly comment on all six books:
Non-fiction:
Mere Christianity
The Problem of Pain
Miracles
A Grief Observed
Fiction (note that when I say "fiction" here, I mean that the characters/events/places in these books are not real or are used in a fictional manner; depending on how you would define fiction, these books may be no more fictional than the Declaration of Independence):
The Screwtape Letters
The Great Divorce
Mere Christianity is perhaps Lewis' most well-known non-fictional work. In it he brilliantly lays out the fundamental beliefs and tenets of basic, non-denominational Christianity as he perceived them (what should be kept in mind is that Lewis himself acknowledged that he was by no means an absolute authority), explained their meanings and consequences on our everyday lives, defended them with precise logic, and, anticipating future rebuttals to his argument, defended his defenses as well. Anyone wanting to know what Lewis believed, how he came to believe it, and why he died believing in it simply must read this book.
The Problem of Pain is a short work in which Lewis describes the existence of pain and suffering and their relationship to (and, perhaps, their affirmation of) the existence of God. An excellent read for the up-and-coming apologist and students of philosophy interested in his thoughts on this area of the infamous Problem of Evil.
In Miracles, the largest of the six books (in terms of number of pages), Lewis lays out what he believed miracles are, how they exist, how they work, why we don't seem to experience miracles on the same grand level as people in the Bible did, why a naturalistic universe devoid of miracles makes no logical or intuitive sense, and the relationship between God, miracles, and humanity.
A Grief Observed is the shortest of the six books. When Lewis' beloved wife died, he began to write down his thoughts and emotions in a notebook that he eventually decided to publish, in the hopes that someone going through a similar heartbreak could find some understanding from a man who knew good and well what true grief is. The reader cannot help but truly feel the anguish Lewis felt as he began writing these notes on the nature of God's goodness.
The Screwtape Letters is a fictional work consisting entirely of letters written from a demon, named Screwtape, to his nephew, Wormwood, a demon in training that is trying to tempt a human soul into Hell. Lewis steps right into the mind and body and spirit of true, absolute evil in this work, describing the existence of demons, the purpose for what they do, how they tempt human minds, and their utter defeat at the hands of God.
The Great Divorce is a short fictional allegory describing the trip of an unnamed man into both Hell and Heaven. My personal favorite of the six books, The Great Divorce describes Lewis' views on Heaven and Hell, who goes there, why they go there, their relationships to the existence of God, and God's influence on both places through wonderfully presented allegory. George MacDonald, who was greatly admired by Lewis, appears as a character in this story meant to give a guided tour of the beauties (and terrors) of Heaven.
With each book being a classic in and of themselves, this boxed set is definitely worth the price for any C.S. Lewis aficionado.
You can never go wrong with C.S. Lewis- The perfect gift idea! Dec 12, 2008
These books are wonderful and a "must have" for any C.S. Lewis fan. They are light weight and easy to handle. The print is very small so I wouldn't recommend this particular set for anyone with vision problems. The type is double spaced though, making it easier to read. If you are looking for a gift for a devoted Christian, this set of books would be a safe bet.
C. S. Lewis Signature Classics May 06, 2008
This is a great deal and the books I received were in pristine condition. A great collection of books for anyone interested in participating in a higher education discussion of modern day Christianity and theology.
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